Do you prefer one expander program over the others? Does your employer require, provide, or recommend one?

Expand on this topic if you want to add and answer more questions if you want.

Instant Text by personal preference.

I use Shorthand because I'm currently an Andrews student and the school recommended it. I love it. It makes my job and my course work much easier.

That is true, and I'm glad you like it, but I want to put a semi-disclaimer here. We recommend that you use it for the course, but hope that you'll keep your options open.

In the advanced portion of the course while students are studying expanders, students are able to use the trial version of Shorthand or, if they want, they can purchase a one-year subscription at reduced cost. So, while we recommend it for the course, we aren't necessarily recommending it for the rest of your career life. We know that there are many options out there and some employers have a strong preference.

I purchased Shorthand simply because of the reduced cost in school. I would prefer to use Instant Text now that I am working and see the pros and cons of each. Unfortunately, IT is not compatible with my current platform so I have to use SH. I like the look of the IT menu and that it is harder to enter something you didn't mean to with IT. The minute IT becomes compatible with my platform, I will be buying it.

For new MTs not familiar with it, I have found a great deal of help at Jon Knowles' website. I purchased the ABCZ medset and just love it! I was spending so much time entering things in my expander. It really saves me time off the clock. Mike DeTuri has a great abbreviation file available as well. The med file by Judy Gardiner is a huge time saver because I don't have to research meds as much. Of course, I can enter all of these myself and save the $45, but I looked at it like I am buying myself time.


As far as preference though, I think the most important thing is to be flexible with what you're going to use just because what you can use with one employer might not be the same with the next. I would definitely not purchase an expensive product like IT during school or any time prior to finding employment, just because you may or may not be able to use it.

I like Shorthand because it works in any Windows program. I can't say how it compares to IT any longer because it's been YEARS since I tried IT.

I can't type any more. I rely heavily on SH for posting in forums, e-mail, instant messaging etc.

I use what is provided with DocQscribe. I've had that the longest and it works well. When I work for others, I use what they provide but ask Technical if they can adapt my copy of my user.aco file from DocQscribe to work with their program. The answer is usually yes, but how well it works varies.

I started out a long time ago and got tired of having to reenter my lists by hand from the IBM 5520, into the Lanier No Problem, into the Super No Problem, into Medrite and finally into PRD for DOS. I did love that last one, though, until I filled it to capacity, that is.

My employer provides Shorthand, but many of their MTs, like me, use IT. It has its quirks with the platform, but nothing too big. I haven't ever used SH, so I can't really compare it. I do like the fact that with IT, you can see choices based on your keystrokes as well as possible continuations for your phrases. I am training myself to slow down (yes, slow down) and actually listen/watch for the next bit of the phrase/continuation when my instinct is to keep typing as rapidly as I can.

I use IT and have taken jobs only where I can use it. It doesn't require remembering the expansions, although my fingertips seem to recall some special ones I've created. I like being able to choose from a list, as well as to have continuations show up in the phrase advisory. IT also allows me to type a few letters to pull up possible drug choices, etc. from the word advisory, which also lists reminders/notes, preventing errors.

I've used Shorthand but find it way too limiting. The programming features of Shorthand are handled even better by the AutoHotkey scripts I've created.

The fact Shorthand works in anything I have open is a complaint I have with it. If you check my browser history, you will see well-developed, well-nourished, well-oriented many times. For example well-developed, well-nourished, well-oriented. mtchat.com or www.pbs.organomegaly.

Priceless!

Unless they were having a pledge drive!

I guess that is another good thing about IT, one I hadn't thought about. You use a command key to expand--I use the semicolon and the apostrophe. It will attach to whatever window you are in, but won't expand unless you hit that specific key.

Which is yet another thing I like about IT (Instant Text). It attaches only to the windows I specify, and I also use a marker key, meaning that unless and until I hit it, there is no expansion. It's bad enough when I choose the wrong one, let alone having things insert themselves automatically.